


The Choice

by Peggysousfan



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Future love, Idk what i'm doing, Love, Past Relationship(s), Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), The Right Partner, hard choices, not really a fix it, past steggy, peggysous, romanogers(Eventually), undecided - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:20:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24582199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peggysousfan/pseuds/Peggysousfan
Summary: This is set after Avengers Endgame. Peggy Carter must make the decision of her life when choosing between two men, who have not only impacted her life, but love her. Who will she choose? Her past or her future...
Relationships: Peggy Carter/Daniel Sousa, Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers
Comments: 6
Kudos: 49





	1. Past and Future

**Author's Note:**

> I have a set number of chapters in mind for this fic, however plans change so I won't be setting it officially for that reason. I have been trying and utterly failing at focusing on finishing all of the other fanfics in progress, but this story has been nagging in the back of my mind for weeks so I eventually started writing it out. Seeing as the world and life has been hectic, what with the pandemic, graduation, monthly flips of something wrong, personal matters, and a ton of other things, fic has been all over the place. I promise the others and this will get finished, it is just taking longer than expected, so bare with me for a bit lol.  
> I hope you all enjoy this fic! :)

It's been two years since the wild adventure Agent Margaret Carter had been on since starting anew. A case that was meant to be simple had turned into one she never expected. What is now known as the Isodyne Case was one of the strangest, and biggest, conspiracy cases the SRR, and the government, had ever encountered. The case itself was wrapped up within a few months, however, the new cases it lead too still continued to this day. It's been two years since she had been sent to Los Angeles to help an 'old friend' solve a complicated case. Ever since then they have become more. Even against protocol they made time to grow and fall in love; and yet it's never been easy. The two have had their bumps in the road, per say. Both professionally and personally. It was hard balancing work and love, those two worlds were meant to be separate and yet they always collided; making everything much more complicated than it needed to be.

There was no doubt they loved on another, to all of their co-workers it was obvious from the start, even if they couldn't figure it out themselves. Jack Thompson, Chief of the New York SSR office, and Carter's old work place, was one of the first to notice; hence sending her across the country to be with Sousa. Even the old telephone operator, now secretary in Los Angeles SSR branch, knew just how much the two cared for each other. It took some time, near death, old and relationships to get it right, but eventually they figured it out, and ever since then they have struggled and grown stronger. Peggy Carter and Daniel Sousa were and always have been partners- until the end. 

After the Isodyne case had closed, the top agent and LA Chief worked side by side and were hardly ever apart. The two practically lived together. Either Carter was at his home, or was residing as a guest at Howard Stark's penthouse; but more or less she was with Daniel. And seeing as she eventually transferred SSR branches from NY to LA, it was time to find permanent housing rather than staying with a friend or her lover. Rose Roberts was very helpful in that case. Peggy was set up within in 2 months with a home to call her own, and yet she still wasn't alone. Daniel would come by and the two would either work... or play. Either way they were together and never grew tired of being together.

You would think such strength, trust, and love could never be ruptured or broken, and yet it was...

It was the day Steve Rogers came back from the dead.


	2. Time Travel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve is on a mission to return the stones, but what will he do after its done?

"Don't do anything stupid till I get back." Rogers says after embracing his long lost and regained friend. James Barnes embraces him back and replies with the same sentiment they had spoken to each other nearly another life time ago. 

"How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you." Steve chuckles and shakes hands with Sam Wilson before walking to the platform of the new time travel machine. Seeing as Thanos and his army destroyed the Avengers compound with the original portal, Dr. Banner had to create new one.

Bruce Banner goes over the plan one last time before sending Rogers through the new portal. Steve has to put back each stone the exact moment they were taken to not disrupt the time line and set everything back the way it use to be. Steve takes the case with the stones, picks up Thor's hammer, and looks at his friends before his helmet closes and the quantum realm sucks him through time.

His first stop was the time stone. He waited for Bruce to leave before giving back the glowing green gem to the Ancient one. She was surprised how fast it took for it to be returned, but graciously accepted it back. But before he leaves, she gives him a word of advice, she can see his deeper intention. 

"It is not wise to do that which you think you must. Even staying out if sight could have repercussions. Unless your intentions are to start something new." Rogers chuckles and says he'll think it over, but they both know his words are a lie. He's already made up his mind.

The next stop is the reality stone, also known as the Aether. The were able to liquefy the stone back to its original state so he could re-inject Jane with it. It felt wring to do it, but it had to be done. In the end Jane Forster would survive and get through it, so Steve presses the button and allows the red power to reenter her body. She's asleep at the moment so she's unaware of what is happening. After Rocket sucked it out, she passed out. So it made it that much easier to return it. All Rogers had to do was wait for the guards to chase after Thor and Rocket so he could sneak past and return the reality stone; Luckily it went smoothly.

Up next was the power gem, the purple stone was encase in its metallic orb once again. All Steve had to do was wait for Rhode and Nebula to walk away for him to sneak by. Once again, everything goes according to plan. Once the orb is set back in place, Rogers jumps back as a protective shield glows around it, nearly burning his hand. With a groan, Steve stands up and presses the device again to travel back to 2012 and to stash away the Loki's scepter. But first, like all the other times, he has to wait for the Avenger's team to do their part.

Steve stands back and sees 2012 Tony get a heart attack, knowing full well that was 2023 Tony's idea. He chuckles lowly to himself and sighs, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. _Pull yourself together, Rogers. He made his choice. He did the right thing. Don't screw this up._ With a deep breath and sigh, Steve waits and sneaks by to the elevator. He hands over the case with the scepter to Hydra and the nod their thanks, though still suspicious of him. Steve walks away and smirks before finding a place to hide away and go to the 70's for the tesseract. 

When he does, he notices the building has more security, probably because he and Tony had just left with the tesseract, causing SHIELD to be on high alert. But with skill, and a lot of luck, Roger's is able to avoid contact with other people and make his way to the room where the stone has to go. He opens the case and put's the cube back where it goes in a new case, seeing as Tony ruined the other one. But before Steve can finish what he's doing, voices and heels clicking from behind startle him. He freezes before finding somewhere to hide. After a few moments he recognizes one of the voice, it belongs to the woman in heels. 

"No no, I'll deal with it myself." She says, her British clipped voice unmistakable to his ears. "Send for Thompson, Sousa, and Roberts. Have them sent to my office ASAP. We need to deal with this breach as discreetly as possible."

"Of course, Director."

The agent leaves hurriedly to bring the requested company, leaving his boss to herself. She sighs and grumbles before noticing the familiar glow. 

"What the bloody hell..." She walks swiftly towards it. She's so close to him he can hardly breath. Roger's heart pounds and his lungs constrict, he hasn't been this near to her since her funeral in 2015. Now she's alive and well. She's the Director of SHIELD and making her own way, just like she should be.

Steve sits silently behind the stack of boxes, hoping he's staying quite, and yet the pounding is so loud he's sure she can hear; but she doesn't. Instead she inspects the cube before locking it away and looking around the room. As she steps closer to Steve, he shrinks away in fear. She can't see him yet. As luck would have it, the agent returns to inform her the other's are now waiting for her in the office. Carter sighs and steps away, leaving Rogers to finally breath. _That was close._

He stands cautiously and waits for her echoing heels to fade from ear shot. Once gone, Steve leans over and smiles. He knows he's making the right decision. Its been too long since he's seen her, heard her voice before she was in her 90's. He tried to move on, but he never could. Now he has to grab a few things before returning the last stone- the Soul Stone. Steve deliberately saved this one for last. He knew what he would see before returning it, and it only made the heartbreak worse. Quickly he sneaks into Pym's lab before reentering the quantum realm. Once he does, he travels to Vormir and looks up at the large cliff he has to climb. _Great..._ He sighs and starts walking, but stops when he hears voice- it's Natasha and Clint. As if it wasn't hard enough to see Tony alive, now he has to see Nat. Not only see her, but watch her die. Steve closes his eyes and shakes his head. Don't get distracted, you came here for a reason. As he thinks this, he wills the courage to walk the path and keep a distance between himself and his friends. 

The cliff is tall and there are many rough edges and rocks to use for cover. Steve does so and watches from a distance as Nat and Clint talk to a floating figure. _Weird..._ but given his history in the present, seeing a floating cloak was far from the strangest thing he had seen. After a moment they follow the figure and Rogers creeps closer, staying close to the rocks. Nat and Clint start to argue and fight, and that's when he hears it.

"I won't let you sacrifice yourself!" Steve jumps and looks against his better judgment, both are on the edge of the cliff, and yet he can't see Nat. This is how she dies. 

Steve looks away and before he knows it, Clint yells out as she falls. As she does, the sky lights up with with a blinding glow, and then Clint disappears. Rogers is shocked and moves out of hiding to find him, but sees no one. As he moves around the cliff and starts to look over, a voice appears from behind. 

"Steven Rogers. Son of Joseph and Sarah Rogers." Steve turns around and is met with a face he hasn't seen since 1945. The last person he saw before he went down.

"Red Skull. What the hell are you doing here?"He demands while taking a step forward, and yet Roger's long time enemy does not attempt to defend. 

"I am no longer your enemy, Captain Rogers. I am but nothing but the keeper of the stone." Steve chuckles angrily and holds out his hand. 

"You mean this?"

"Yes." He replies as Steve hands it over. The stone floats int he air between them before zooming upwards into the sky, vanishing before their eyes. As it does, Rogers watches and then looks back at Red Skull, only to find him gone as well.

The mission is done. All of the infinity Stones have been returned to set balance to time, and yet Steve Rogers wasn't finished yet. With a deep heavy sigh, he clicks the buttons on his suit and sets the date to 1949. _I'm going home, its time to get back to the love of my life._


	3. New Old Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rogers has made his decision, it was time to retire back to the beginning. Back to before his life in the future. What will this new adventure entail?

In an instant, Rogers is transported to a once familiar time in life. In an alley he once knew so well as a scrawny kid from Brooklyn. The alley was the exact same, streets were filled with vintage cars, and people with formal wear roamed all about. With a sigh, Steve stowed away and found some clothing on a line. They were a little small, but it would have to do for the time being. With a deep breath, he walks out of the alley, smooths the jacket, and walks with the flow of the people. As he does he sets his sights on the city before him. Its nothing like it is in the future, its completely different, and yet its home. As Rogers walks down the street, he hears an odd sound to his right. Curious, he walks in that direction and finds an attempted mugging. 

"Hey!" He shouts, grabbing the attention of the woman and the mugger. He turns toward Steve and tosses a fist, but Rogers catches it first and grabs the woman's bag. "This isn't yours." He shoves the man and he runs off. The woman thanks him and takes back her property, but not without handing over a reward. Steve tries to refuse but she insist. 

"I'm sure you can use it for something."

"Well I could use a bite to eat." He says, and the woman chuckles.

"Well I recommend the Automatt just up the road. Best pies and coffee in all of New York." He thanks her and starts to walk away, but not before asking her about finding someone. "Oh there's a phone book near the cafe you could use." He thanks her again before heading in that direction. 

It doesn't take long for him to find the book and enter the Automatt. Its just as he had pictured it. This is the 40's, and he couldn't have felt better about being back, but for now he was on a mission to find one person in particular. Steve sits on a stool and sets the book in front of him. As he does a blond waitress asks for his order and so he says a coffee. While he waits, he flips through the pages to find her name, but with no luck.

"How hard is it to find the name Margaret Carter in this damn thing," He mumbles to himself, but apparently not quiet enough.

"Carter? As in Peggy Carter?" Another waitress behind the counter says. Steve turns to look at her and nods, though he keeps his face down. 

"Yeah. Do you know where she is?" The woman squints, places a hand on her hip, and faces him as if analyzing his intentions. 

"Who's asking?" She says cautiously. Steve looks her over and sees her name tag- Angie. She seems to know Peggy from what he can tell.

"I'm...an old friend." He hesitates to say. Steve clears his throat and looks back up at her to explain. "I was just in town and thought I'd, uh, drop by to see her, ya know? It's been a long time..."

Angie keeps looking at him unmoving for a few moments as if unsure to trust him, but she ease up and grabs a refill for his coffee before walking towards him. Steve sits up straighter with his head down, trying not to make eye to eye contact, but Angie won't won't budge until he looks up. 

"You look familiar." She says, making Rogers start to panic. "Have we met before?"

"Uh.. no. I just... uhm, have one of those faces I guess." She gives a soft _hmm_ to his answer before standing up straighter and asking how he knows Peggy. And a real answer. Steve chuckles nervously before giving a vague truth. "We worked together a long time ago. Its been a while so I thought I'd say hi while I was in town."

She's quiet for a moment before deciding to answer his question. "She moved about 2 years ago." At Steve's curious look, she shrugs. "California."

"California?!" Angie smiles and nods before walking off to deal with a new customer. He looks around and stands to get a slice of pie, then sits back down. After a few bites, it takes a few moments before she's finished putting in the order, when she does, Steve stops her. "Do you know why, or where she is?" Angie stops in her steps and looks at Rogers with a disapproving glance. "Please."

"She left for a work thing, that's all I know." And with that she walks away leaving him. 

With a deep sigh, Steve leaves after paying for his coffee and pie. He glances back at the waitress before walking down the street. She's lying, at least he suspects she is. But there's nothing he can do about it now. His only goal is to find Peggy. Now he has to figure out a way across the country to do it. A plane would be best, but he doesn't have a passport to get a flight, or a 40's ID for that matter. _Well things juts got a lot more complicated than I expected._ Steve did stow away some cash before traveling here, but he can't get to California publicly. To think, he walks by the alley next to the automatt and sits against a wall, head in hands. 

"Why can't this just be simple?"

"And why are you sitting on the ground?" Steve looks up and sees the waitress named Angie. She has on a coat over her uniform, so he assumes she's leaving work for the day. Rogers stands up and clears his throat, keeping his head down. 

"I was uhh... just resting up. It's been a long day."

"Right." She says before turning around to leave.

"Wait!" He runs to her and places a hand on her shoulder. "Is Peggy really in California?" Angie looks him over with an unapproving eye, so he drops his hand and steps back, placing them in his pockets. "I, uhm, I really need to see her but..."

"Why?" Steve glances up at her confused, but Angie doesn't budge. "Look big guy, Peggy's never mentioned you before so why do you expect me to start spilling my guts? If you were really that important, she would have told you like she did everyone else." As she speaks her hand reaches slowly into her bag, though her eyes never stray from trying to look at his face.

"I wasn't lying when I said it's been a really long time. She probably doesn't even know I'm alive." At this response her hand stops moving. 

"What's your name?" And in an instant, he panics.

"Grant! Peggy and I uh... go way back. We knew each other during the war."Steve tries to keep his voice steady as he says this, and Angie seems to believe him. 

"Grant? That's all I get?" He chuckles and shrugs his shoulders,leaving her to sigh and cross her arms. "Yeah, Peggy is in California. I wasn't lying when I said it was a work thing either. She transferred there 2 years ago.

Steve curses under his breath and sighs, leaning against the wall behind him. She asks him why he's acting in such a way, and so he replies the problem. He can't get to California. "I need to see her. Its important. And no I can't tell you what it is." As if a light bulb shines over her head, Angie mumbles 'Ohh' as if there were a large secret she understand. 

"Okay, now I get it." She winks. "So you work at the 'telephone company' too?" Steve isn't sure how to respond, but he's sure its some sort of code, so he simply nods. As he does Angie starts to walk away, "Wait here." 

It takes a few minutes before she returns, and when she does she hands over a slip of paper with an address. "What's this for?"

"Go to this place tomorrow morning. There you'll get a lift to a plane that'll take you to LA."Rogers eyes widen in shock before he stutterers his thanks.

"No problem. I do what I can to help her...colleagues." But as she says this she wipe out a can of pepper spray and Steve tense. "But if you're one of those guys that gives her a hard time I won't hesitate to use this."

"No! no, I've never-uh, no that's not me." She nods assertively and puts away the spray. 

"Good luck, 'Grant'." She says before walking away.

Rogers isn't sure what to make of what just happened, but one thing is for sure, he'll see Peggy fore sure. And what a reunion that will be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peggy and Daniel will come in later chapters, don't worry! They will make an appearance soon :)


	4. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Peggy get their dance, but something has Peggy on edge....

Rogers follows the direction the waitress had given him on the slip of paper. The driver was a bit ominous and didn't say a word, but Steve figured it was or the best. She did write on the back that he could trust this gut. He was apparently a friend of her brother's. Once they go to the hanger he saw the name Stark written above. This was Howard Stark's private hanger bay. _Dammit_ , he thinks. Rogers is cautious as he gets out of the car, but he doesn't see his old friend. Instead the driver of the car piloted the plane as well. Its a long flight there but once they land, Steve takes his bag and walks away, waving to the driver/pilot before walking into town. Once there he stops for a bite to eat and settles down with a phone book he purchased. He flips through the pages for the name Carter, and it doesn't take long for him to find it.

He pays for his food and leaves to find a taxi. Although he does have to keep his head low in order to hide his identity, a cab does arrive and he hitches a ride. The driver asks for a place and Rogers gives him Peggy's address. _I really hope she's home..._

It's a small house in the suburbs he notes as he steps out and pays the driver. Steve's heart pounds in his chest as he steps closer to the building; to her home. He hasn't seen her since 2015. Days before she died in her sleep. He's never really thought about that day, seeing as it always reminds him of what could have been, but now everything will change. What could have been will now be what is.

Steve steps closer and closer to the house before standing on the porch, hand raised to knock on the door. This is it, no turning back now. Rogers knocks on the door and waits for a few moments before knocking again, then placing his hands in his pockets. Maybe she's not home yet... But as he thinks this and turns to walk away, the door opens. Steve hears this and turns back around, facing the woman he has so longed to see.

"Hey Peggy."

"Steve..." Her words come out breathless. She can hardly believe what she's seeing before her. Rogers smiles his smile and steps closer, but what he doesn't expect is a gun pointed in his direction. "Who are you really?"

"Its me, Peg. Its Steve. Steve Rogers." But as he speaks the woman in front of him keeps her stance and replies through clenched teeth.

"Prove it." 

Rogers chuckles and ducks his head down before saying," Is it too late for that dance?" Peggy's grip loosens slightly, her guard slipping before she regains her composure. 

"Cotton Club, 9 O'clock." At this he chuckles and rubs the back of his neck nervously.

"Stork Club. 8 O'clock on the dot. You told me not to be late, but I kind of broke that promise." He chuckles again. "Though I can say stepping on your toes might not have changed. I still can't dance that well."

As he finishes rambling on, Peggy lowers her gun and tosses her arms around his heck, shocking him most of all. But once it wears off he wraps his arms around her as well.

"It's really you." Her words are muffles into his shirt, but he nods at hearing them. 

"So how about that dance?"

She chuckles and pulls away, and Steve follows her to the living room. He closes the door behind him, but it doesn't quite shut, a small crack is left as an opening. Oddly enough she was already dressed in a dazzling red dress. She walks over to start the record player with the soft words and music fill the air. Steve stands aside and waits, his hands outstretched. Peggy chuckles and steps into his arms, taking his hands in hers. For a moment all is silent until Rogers breaks it and asks about her attire. She chuckles once more before telling him she had planned on meeting a friend, but she canceled last minute. Steve just happened to pop by at the right time.

The sway to the soft music for some time, until Peggy pulls away to answer a phone call. Steve stops the record player and proceeds to sit on the couch and wait for her to finish. She does a few minutes later and returns to the living room, sitting opposite of him. He notices a strange look come across her face, something he can't quite recognize or place, but as quickly as it appears, it vanishes.

A still silence fills the room, neither sure what to say. Its been years since they've saw one another- years since they saw each other alive.

"You've changed." Peggy breaks the silence, her legs crossed and arms slightly folded across her chest. Rogers chuckles and runs a hand through his blonde hair. 

"Yeah... uhm, its been a while." She scoffs but a small smile tugs at the corner of her lips.

"Oh really? I haven't noticed." A moment passes before the two laugh, the tension seeming to break. "Steve... where have you been? Its been 4 years."

Rogers sits back more into the cushioned flowered seat beneath him, almost sinking into the couch itself. _How much can I tell her? Will it change anything? Will she be able to understand? WH-what about...Sharon? Tony..? Natasha..._ He sighs deeply and rests his face in his hands, arms now leaning on his knees. 

"Its complicated. All I can say is I haven't been around for a while, but I'm back now. Isn't that what counts?"

"Not really, no." Peggy uncrosses her arms and glances away, her mind deep in thought. 

"I wish I could tell you, Peggy. I just can't."

They fall silent at this, no one knowing what else to say or do. Years of time and events had passed and yet there was a gap that could never be filled. Mostly that is to say.

"Well since you won't tell me where you've been, can you at least tell me where you're staying? For safety reasons that is." Her cheeks flush red from the glance he gives her, making her look away. She stands from her seat as she waits for his answer,

"I uh.... I just got here actually. I'm not staying anywhere. Except, well, in the 40's." He mumbles the last bit before realizing he spoke it aloud. She doesn't press any further but does give him an odd look. He shy's away and shrugs, twiddling his thumbs in a sense. 

"I-no that's not a good idea." She fumbles over her words as she paces around her living room, making Steve curious. 

"What's not a good idea?" Peggy stops and look at him before scoffing and smiling with a breath of nerves. 

"I would say use my spare bedroom but..." As she speaks she stops and shakes her head. "No its a terrible idea."

"Why? Afraid of what will happen if I stay too long?" Her head snaps to look at him, shocked at his bold words. Steve should feel intimidated by her stare, but instead his heart swells in his chest. "What? Its been years, Peg. I don't think you should worry about... anything like that. I'm trustworthy still, I swear."

She continues pacing at this and sighs a few times, her arms crossed over her chest and mind deep in thought. Rogers isn't sure why it's so hard for her to decide, but eventually she stops pacing and sits opposite of him again.

"Alright, you can stay." Her leg bounces slightly as she sits, and he notices. Their eyes catch and she proceeds to stand again, hands on hip. "But only temporarily. At the very least until you are able to find your own residence here. Well, that, uhm... is if you want to stay in Los Angeles. I suppose I should have asked first."

"Yeah, Peg. I'm staying."

"Right." She's nervous, and slightly shaken up he notices. From what he cannot tell, but seeing as Peggy has always been reserved, he doesn't ask questions for the time being. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is still a peggysosu fic, I promise. Its just a trial to get through for all intents and purposes for the plot and characters.


	5. Reality Check

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve's presence in Peggy's life stirs up more trouble than she bargained for...

The rest of the evening had gone by swiftly. Instead on dwelling on the unspoken, the old companions have struck up conversation about stories and experiences in the war. The conversation was nostalgic, lively, and safe. Steve can hardly believe it was all real being able to talk to her again, see her laugh, smile, and retort at his stupidity. But all to soon it ended and she had to retire to bed. Rogers may be back but Peggy Carter has a life she still needs to live. Her career is the most important thing to her, so she goes to bed in preparation for working the next day.

Peggy wakes early and gets ready. By the time Rogers wakes, shes long gone. Her heels click against the stairs and floor of the LA SSR office. She sets down her bag and takes a deep breath. _Just like any other day. Focus, Carter. Focus._ Peggy sits down at her desk and looks through several files of information to help her with an open case. As she does so, a door to her right opens revealing the chief, and suddenly her heart pounds in her chest. Daniel. 

It was in this moment as she looked at her beloved that the memories of the previous day flooded her mind, a sinking feeling overwhelming her entire body. She tenses and tries to push the current events away. _Surely Steve being back can't interfere with everything she has?_ Daniel makes her happy, at work and at home. He always has.

Quickly she shakes her head and tries to refocus her thoughts, but the familiar sound of a thunk keeps her from doing so.

"Morning, Peg. How's the case going so far? Any idea what this scum bag's real agenda is?" He smirks as he stops by her desk. They're so close she can feel the heat from him, radiating beneath his clothes. It doesn't bother her but, she can't help the sinking feeling in her chest. 

"Erm.. no. Not yet at least." Her words, though true, contradict her tone. Shes distracted and slightly on edge from what Daniel observes. 

"You okay?" He asks taking a step back to observe her. Shes sitting at her desk but her posture is stiff and somewhat hunched. This isn't like her to do. 

Peggy looks up and nods, saying shes fine, and yet he doesn't believe her. Something is bothering her and for the lie of him he can't fathom what. But he doesn't pry, not wanting to overstep on the matter. 

"Okay, uh.. well are we still on for tonight? If not then that's fine. You should catch up on some rest if you need it." He smiles at her, taking her breath away before the panic sets in.

She had plans to go out with Daniel tonight, but Steve was at her house. Daniel was supposed to take Peggy out to dinner after going to the beach, and yet... oh bloody hell! She says to herself, though not so in her head as she thought. 

"You sure you're okay?" Bravely, Daniel reaches out and places a hand on her shoulder. Although they have agreed to keep their relationship and work life separate, in circumstances such as this, he can't help but worry and want to comfort her.

"Yes, yes of course. Uhm.." She glances away, her lips still parted as she thinks of what to say next. She didn't want to miss out on tonight, not when they had planned this date for over a week. Tonight was the first night they had off at the same time in over a week, and yet she wasn't sure she could go. Not with an unresolved issue now staying in her home at the moment. "Could we possibly have a rain-check on tonight? I have a few thing to, erm, settle and..." Gesturing to her work in front of her, Daniel takes the hint, though not fully convinced she was alright. 

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you need, Peg." he squeezes her shoulder and grins before walking away, leaving her to release the breath she didn't realize she was holding. She loves Daniel, truly she does, she's been in love with him for over 2 years, but with Rogers back everything in her life seems to have been flipped upside down.

~~~

Withing the following weeks, Peggy has all but made excuse after excuse and rain-check after rain-check on Daniel enough times to make his anxiety and fear sky rocket. She wasn't behaving like herself and everything seemed different. Peggy knows that Daniel notices her brushing him off, but to her she doesn't have a choice, especially after what happened with Steve the previous week...

_Peggy had returned home from a late shift from the SSR, her case involving a slipper thug and money laundering had finally been wrapped up and finished. She was dead on her feet, exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and pass out, but Steve was already waiting for her in the living room. He had a book in hand and perked up when he saw her._

_"Hey, Peg! How was...work."_

_He notices her demeanor and she sighs, not being in the mood for his enthusiasm. With a chuckle he moves his head to the side, a gesture for her to follow, and she does. He leads her to the kitchen and and places a bowl in front of her. Steve had made soup for dinner while she was out, and she couldn't have been more grateful._

_She smiles for what felt like the first time in days, seeing as Daniel was out of town for the past two days, and sat roughly on the chair in front of her. Steve chuckles again and goes back into the living room,giving her some space to eat and relax for a few minute to herself._

_Once shes finished, she makes her way to the living room and sits on the couch opposite of Steve. He smirks and sets his book down before leaning back at looking at her. She's tired, that much he can see, but from her action of coming into the living room and sitting by him rather than going to her room, he concludes she would rather have some company for a few minutes._

_"So, how was work?" She rolls her eyes at that and grabs the book he had previously had before answering._

_"Exhausting to say the least." She flips from the cover to the back and notices its not her book. He got it from somewhere else. "Where'd you get this?"_

_"Found it. Anyway," He avoids her curious expression, "how was the case? id you finish up everything?"_

_She notices his flip of the subject and sighs, knowing she won;t get any answers. Steve is secretive, that much she's gathered over the last few weeks. Most due to the fact it was, as he said, 'highly classified' and he couldn't talk about it. But why he won't tell her about an old book she has no idea._

_"Thankfully, yes. But that doesn't take away the pretenses of how thoroughly boring it was in the end. It was rather unnerving and I can't stand how dull each new case is getting. It's maddening."_

_Steve laughs at this and nods in understanding. It can be annoying having to work on something boring, especially when there was nothing else to look forward to. He says as such and she scoff, mumbling he has no idea. For an hour they stayed like this, sitting on the couch and conversing throughout the night. As time went on Steve scooted closer to her, sitting right next to her in the end. She didn't say anything to protest, too tired to really care at the moment. He holds her hand eventually, causing her to glance cautiously at him._ Friends can hold hands, _she tells herself_ , it doesn't mean anything. But what he did in the next few seconds puts her entirely on edge, he leaned in to kiss her.

 _Before their lips made contact she pulled away and jumps off the couch, her heart racing into her throat._ This isn't happening... Dammit, Rogers! _He had to make things more difficult than it already was._

_"Peggy-"_

_"Don't!" Is all she an muster before walking away, stopping her feet in furry as she head towards her room and slams the door._

Daniel returns to the office only a day after the incident, and he notices Peggy more distant than before. She's overindulging in work. At some point he contemplates she's avoiding him.

Another week passes and she seems to be less stiff, but she still isn't acting like herself. That day she leaves early and heads home, not uttering much more than she needed to towards anyone in the office, including Daniel. He hasn't asked her how shes's been, seeing as her only answer has and will continue to be 'I'm fine', or 'Just a little tired'. Daniel, having known and lover her for so long, knows this sin't true. Something was wrong and the only way to help her, at the very least be there for her, was for him to finds out what was going on.

Daniel left the office an hour early, only a few hours after Peggy had left, and drove to her house. He hadn't been there in weeks, and to his dismay, she hasn't been to his own either. She's different, bothered, and he can't understand why. 

As he pulls up to her driveway, he parks his car and walks closer to the house, but what he sees through a glimpse in he window shatters his heart. Peggy was with another man. They were on the couch sitting close, her head thrown back in laughter. The man wasn't Howard, or Jarvis, or anyone he could recognize. Tall and blonde was all he could see, and that as enough for him. 

Daniel looks down at the pavement, his chest heaving with a sharp pain and heart squeezing with an excruciating pressure. He doesn't want to jump to conclusions, Peggy wasn't a cheater, but something inside of Daniel told him to run. Run and never look back. Whatever was happening she didn't want him to know about, and that was enough to break his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So I know its been a while since I've updated this fic, and all others. I'm happy to say my hiatus is over for now and I will be updating everything as soon as I can when I can. My laptop was broken and I needed to get it fixed, and unfortunately I couldn't write Agent Carter fics on my phone, so I had to wait. I hope you all enjoy this update! As explained before, this is not a steggy fic, it is peggysous. But for the sake of making this connect post Endgame, there needs to be a tie between Peggy and Steve, but they aren't together. I promise!


	6. Havoc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst, Angst, Angst,and more Angst! Sorry!! It will get better eventually, but right now... bumpy angsty road.

As Peggy returned to the SSR within the coming of days, she notices something off about Daniel. It's only been 3 days and she hasn't seen him or spoken with him unless in a meeting or crossing paths in the bullpen. Normally she wouldn't think too much about this, seeing as he is the chief and may be busy. However there are no active, or inquisitive, cases that would need his immediate attention.

On day 4 is when her worry takes over.

Peggy Carter has always been known as a woman to take action, and so she does. Carter walks over to the chief's office and knocks on his door. She hears faint come in from inside so she turns the nob and steps inside.

"Hello chief" she says her voice soft. Watch to her surprise he doesn't look up.

"You need something, Carter?" At this she flusters. He's never this formal or direct with her. Not even in New York. At this thought she closes the door behind her and steps closer to his desk.

"Daniel are you alright?" Peggy asked while sitting down across from him. watched her dismay he doesn't look up from the report he is writing.

"I'm fine. Is there's something you need?" Now she's getting annoyed.

"W- no I don't need anything, it's been days since I last saw you and I wanted to see if you were alright." Still he does not look up.

"Yeah I'm fine, just busy. You know chiefs work is never done." He glances at her for a moment shaking the file in his hand, before going back to reading it.

Peggy leans back in her chair and watches him for a few moments observing his every move. He doesn't seem in pain nor is there a ton of paperwork on his desk. He hasn't been acting like himself, she's noticed, nor does he seem too busy. If she were to admit it she was slightly hurt by the way he was acting, distant and somewhat cold. Maybe even avoiding her. Simply thinking this could be a possibility makes the strings in her heart pull at her chest, but she tries to push that feeling down.

"Very well I'll leave you to it then." He mumbles is thanks not looking up at her still. She bites her lip in thought before stepping outside his office. Something wasn't right. Daniel was not acting like himself.

It's almost time to clock out during her shift so when Peggy goes downstairs she confronts Rose. Though doesn't get many answers there either. The chief has had a lot going on dealing with senator and the last few cases needed to be wrapped up.

Carter tries to believe that and goes home for the day. There really weren't any dire cases needing her attention, if anything things were still very full, so going home at a reasonable hour was all she could do.

Several more days go by and Daniel still acts the same, even more so it's apparent he's avoiding her. Peggy tries to speak with him again but his blinds to his office are closed and his door has been staying locked. The dread in her stomach continues to rise when she starts to believe something is very very wrong. This isn't Daniel. Her Daniel does not behave like this.

Never has and never would. Something was terribly wrong and Peggy needed to find out what it was. She was an Agent, a spy, and one of the best, it shouldn't be too hard to figure out. Except Daniel was also a spy, and he was good at hiding things when needed. His promotion out West is an easy example of that. Peggy sighs at that memory and shakes her head.

The only way to figure this out was to talk about it. She needed to confront Daniel.

But how?

Then an idea forms in her mind. She'll catch him once he leaves the office to go home. It might be easier than showing up on his door step anyway.

Peggy almost misses her window of opportunity when Daniel leaves for the day. It's late, very late. Almost 11pm. He never stays this late, much to her previous knowledge. But now wasn't the time to think about it. Instead she walks towards him car as he gets in, barely getting to his side as he starts his car.

"Daniel!" She knocks on his window and he seems to give up, slumping his shoulders and rolling down his window.

"Peggy? What-"

"What's going on, Daniel? You're distant, avoiding me, you've been locked away in your office, you-"

"Peg..." He tries to stop her but she won't let him.

It's been weeks. Weeks since they've been alone together, been on a date, or had any sort of time to themselves. She can't take it anymore. 

"Daniel what is going on? Why won't you speak to me?!"

"I know, okay!" His outbursts shocks her, leaving her to take a step back.

"Know? Know what?" He sighs at this and grips the steering wheel so hard his knuckles start turning white.

"I know about the guy, Peggy. Whoever he is... whatever's going on.... I hope you're happy."

She calls out to him but he drives off, leaving her perplexed. Then realization hits her and she realizes he saw her with Steve.  
  
 _No no no no no!!_

With a huff she walks from where she was standing, her forcing her feet to stop being frozen on the spot. As she does she takes her car and drives home, the entire trip an blur as tears form in her eyes. Things wasn't meant to happen. Daniel wasn't suppose to find out this way. Whatever he saw he misinterpreted, now Peggy had to fix this. Whatever it took.

When she arrives at her home, Steve greets her with a smile, but she brushes past him sniffling.

"Peggy? Are you okay?" He follows her through the house setting down plates of food. She ignore him and keeps walking. "Hey!"

At his insistence he's able to grab her elbow, making her turn to face him. When he does he sees the stain on her cheeks and puffy eyes.

"What happened?" 

"Nothing. I'm just going to bed."

"Maybe we could dance? Take you mind off of whatever-"

"No! I-" With an angry sigh she turns away. "Goodnight Rogers."

He flinches at the use of his last name and the slam of the door that follows. Whatever happened really shook her up.

In the morning Peggy wakes quietly, having not slept much through the night. She takes a quick shower before dressing and getting ready for the day. Today she will have a talk with Daniel and air out everything that needs to be said. They needed this,and Daniel deserved to know the truth, Steve was back, and staying with her for the time being, but nothing was going on between them. Peggy makes sure of that. She wants Daniel, and Daniel alone. Surely what she had with Steve was indeed important, but that window of opportunity, that life, was long gone. She's moved on, Daniel needs to know this.

As Peggy makes her way to the dining room she finds Rogers had made breakfast.At the sight she chuckles and sighs, sadness and nostalgia overcomes her. Daniel did this very thing this every morning after they were together. In the beginning of their relationship they did try to take things slow, but one thing led to another and Peggy started to stay over at Daniel's throughout the night. Even more so on weekends when they would hardly leave the house; content on spending all day together doing whatever comes to mind. 

Her heart sinks at this as she swallows any heart gripping emotion down. She nibbles on the food as she sits down, thinking of anything but what she needs to say to Daniel. But as she does a pair of arms come behind her as a soft kiss is on her cheek. Peggy freezes an stiffens in response. She's told Steve numerous times they missed their chance, and he said he understood, but actions such as this make her think other wise. Everything is so upside down and wrong in her life. Peggy doesn't even other lecturing Steve this time, being far too tired to deal with anything else right now. 

Peggy takes her leave quickly before Steve can sit down or mutter a single word. As she does she doesn't look back. She needed Daniel, wanted him, not Rogers. As Carter arrives at the office she notices Daniel's office door open. A smile smile pulls at her lips as her feet walk in the direction her eyes see, but when she arrives its empty. 

Strange... Daniel was always here before her, and everyone for that matter.

Her fear and anxiety grow more when he goes all day without appearing once. But the rational side of her says he may be working from home, seeing as his leg may be bothering him today. His leg has its good days and bad days, so she tries not to worry too much. Tries being the key word. But when he doesn't arrive to work the next day either, Peggy becomes overwhelmed with worry. He doesn't show for next day and she grows severely worried. 

Peggy drives to Daniel's house to search for him, but finds nothing. He wasn't there and neither was his car.None of this made any sense, note at all. Nothing could have happened to it, could it have? Peggy uses the spare key she has and opens the door, peering inside. She calls out his name, maybe his car needed repairing so it wasn't here. But to her ever growing anxiety, Daniel was not home either. All of his things were in perfect display, not a thing out of place. 

There was only one option left, go back to the SSR. As she does, she sees Rose at her desk with paperwork, rather busy front he look of it. But as she hears the door and sees the troubled expression on Peggy, she instantly sets down her pen.

"Peggy? What's wrong?" The woman agent fiddles with her hands and steadies her breathing, attempting to get any control she has left over herself. 

"Its Daniel. I think he's gone missing." At this Rose halts any movement at all. "I-Iv'e looked all over for him, he's not at the office or at home. He's not anywhere he would be if he were to want to be alone. I-I don't know, Rose." Soon enough Rose collects her thoughts and replies.

"Missing? Peg... He's not missing. He left."

"WHAT??" Rose sighs quietly before standing from her seat, an apologetic expression.

"He didn't tell you, did he? He left on a mission for undercover Monday. He won't be back for a while."

As if Peggy's heart couldn't hurt anymore, it shatters.


	7. Rekindled

After the mind boggling news of Daniels whereabouts, Peggy leaves the SSR offices and drives away in her car. As she rides on the road she takes familiar turns until she reaches a familiar house, one that is not her own. Instead home she arrives at its Daniels. For a moment she stays seated behind her wheel hands gripping until her knuckles turn white, a few loose tears falling down her cheeks. She wasn't aware where she was driving to until she had stopped, it seemed her mind and heart knew exactly where she needed to be. Home.

What does shaking breath and hand she opens her door and makes way to the house. Seeing as she has a spare key it isn't difficult to get inside. It's been a long time since she's been here, a long time since she's felt at home. She always has him, and even though he's not home everything there is his.

Absent-mindedly Peggy steps inside and closes the door gently behind her leaning against it with a deep breath. Everything smells like him.

Her senses are overwhelmed as her heart starts beating out of her chest. _How could you let this happen? How could she not see the signs sooner?_ Something needed to be done. And Peggy Carter was not going to give up without a fight.

As the days go by Peggy starts staying at Daniel's house every night. She does stop by her own house every now and then to check on Steve or grab a few change of clothes, but she never sticks around for too long. In doing so Rogers begins to worry. He even stops her from leaving the house a few times. 

"Peggy what's going on?" She pulls away to create a safe distance, her eyes not exactly meeting his. 

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean, Peg. You're staying away for days at a time, you never sleep here anymore-"

"You're not my keeper, Rogers. The only people needing to be concerned about where I go and what I do are either dead or across the world on a different continent. None of which are you."

She stares daggers towards him until he backs down, shoving his hands in is pockets as his eyes become glued to the floor. But he doesn't drop the subject.

"Is it something I did? Are... are you avoiding me?"

Peggy sighs deeply before rolling her eyes and walking past him. "This has nothing to do with you." She states before closing the front door behind her.

She goes back to Daniel's house and flops on his bad, breathing in his scent. She holds his pillow close to her as a sob escapes her throat. No one was around to hear her fall apart, so maybe it was time to let loose.

When she wakes she sighs, happily, he may not be there but it was close enough. Peggy gets up to shower before heading back to the SSR for the day and going about her usual routine. Go to work, handle a mission, come home. Even if Daniel wasn't here, it will always be home to her.

For weeks its like this, her waking up in Daniel's bed, going to work, sometimes returning to her own house to check on Steve, but it happened less and less as time moves on. Steve Rogers is her past, a door that closed a very long time ago, and she had moved on. He needed to accept that. 

They had talked a great deal of their past and what had transpired between them; all the unsaid feelings exposed. But Peggy never acted on those past ghosts. They were simply that. Ghosts. And she tried to make it quite clear to Steve what they had was over, even if he struggled to accept it. Peggy was never going to leave Daniel behind, it would be too much. Just imagining a life without him was overwhelming enough, let alone living it.

No. She couldn't. It was an endless cycle for weeks of the same routine. That is until it was broken...

One night as Peggy lays in Daniel's bed, a hand startles her awake. She jumps unexpectedly and reaches for the gun she kept under her pillow, but drops it instantly when she sees the intruder- or not so much as an intruder as she thought- but the man of the house himself. 

"D-Daniel?!" He nods and nearly tumbles over when she springs from the bed and tosses her arms around his neck. He hesitates for a moment before wrapping his free arm around her back, keeping her close. 

"Hey, Peg." He breaths in her hair as she tugs him closer, her nails scratching at the base of his hair. Daniel barely registers his shoulder growing damp before pulling away and cupping her cheek in his hand. 

Her cheeks are wet with salty tears, and her eyes red and puffy. He sighs and pulls her in again, enjoying the feeling of her against him. He may have been hurt, even heart broken, but seeing her again, feeling her against him, just wasn't something he could ever tire of.

"Y-you came back." She says, her words muffles by his shoulder. 

"Of course I came back, Peg. You think I could stay away forever?" She sniffles at this and squeezes tighter, not having the voice to answer.

After a few moments the break apart and gaze at one another, silence wrapping around them. Neither one knows what to say, and Peggy Carter being Peggy Carter was always more of a woman to act than speak. She grasps his face in her hands before leaning in to meet his lips with hers, placing a searing kiss there. Daniel is shocked beyond measure, but doesn't dare pull away.

"I love you, Daniel."

Daniel Sousa's smile could have lit all of Los Angeles after her declaration.


	8. Confession and Conflict

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is unbeted and kind of rushed, so I apologize in advance for any mistakes!

They held each other for what felt like hours, squeezing the life and absorbing the love from each other. Its been too long since they've been this close, especially touching and holding one another. They were partners, best friends, and lovers. There was so much to talk about and it seemed like there wasn't enough time, as if it was running out quickly. It was late at night when Daniel had arrived home, so rather than speaking the unspoken, they pull apart and rest their foreheads on one another, staying close. They fall into bed in each others arms, facing the other as their eyes drift asleep. 

In the next morning Peggy wakes she smells breakfast waif through the air. She smiles fondly before rising out of bed and finding Daniel in the kitchen. She laughs and embraces him from behind, kissing his cheek. She may not see it but he smiles to himself at her touch and affection, happy in this moment with her here with him. As she sits down he kisses her temple and places a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of her. Things are better between them,more so than when he left,but both know not everything has healed. They need to talk. 

"Daniel." Peggy says, her voice hesitant quiet. "There's something I need to tell you, but I need you to promise you will not, under the circumstances, jump to conclusions or think horrible thoughts. I love you, you need to know that."

As she says this Daniel's anxiety grows. He doesn't know what to expect from her but nods nonetheless. They needed to air out what was going on between them.

"The man you saw... what you think you saw wasn't what you thought. Nothing happened, I could never-"

"I know, Peg." He says, hearing her voice crack was enough for him to feel the defeat. 

"Daniel... Steve is alive. He came back." At this her chief still all movement, she's not even sure he was breathing. Daniel stays silent for some time, so, she takes his hand and not know what else to say. But what she doesn't expect is Daniel's words that come next, and they break her heart.

"Do what makes you happy Peggy. I don't want to get in the way of you true love." He squeezes her hand and puts up the plates.

She stutters and tries to say something in response, but he tells her she should go and get ready for work. Peggy sighs, knowing he was right, and leaves his house. Now wasn't the time to argue. Daniel needed time to digest what she had confessed, and they both needed time to think of what to do next. 

As Peggy enters her house with a deep sigh, she leans against her now closed door. She needed to get ready for work and yet her head wouldn't stop spinning. All her thoughts would do is swirl with What to do next? How will we fix this? What does Daniel think about all of this? How will Steve react? But as she thinks this the man himself emerges from the couch. 

"Peggy?" He stands groggily and makes his way over to her, sleep still apparent in his features. 

She swallows the lump in her throat as he gets closer, she really did not want to have a conversation with him of all people at the moment. So rather than allowing him any room to speak she wills a smile upon her lips before strides to her bathroom. What she hadn't realized was slamming the door and slumping against it, tears falling faster than she could stop. Everything seemed like it was against her, she was fighting a loosing battle and it seemed she could do nothing about it.

All she had was time, and that was not something that was on her side.

As Peggy falls to the ground, hugging her knees to her chest, she starts to register a much larger body tugging her side, causing her to lean back. It took a few moments for her to realize Rogers had come into her room while she was dazed. She has no idea how long she stays there on the ground, Rogers near, as she releases all emotion, pent up aggression, and sorrow.

Soon enough Peggy settles down, her tears drying against her skin. Steve notices and leans down to kiss her cheek, but instantly she pulls away and moves to stand, clearing her throat at the to fill the silence. 

"Maybe you should stay home, Peg." He finally says, noting her tense form.

"No." She says with as much determination as she could muster. She opens her door again to gesture he leave. "I need to go to work." 

Steve knows its a loosing battle to push any further, so, he walks away. Peggy shuts the door and locks it quickly as she steps back to shower. 

Her heart hurt and mind conflicted. Steve has told her what he could about how he ended up there, and more so why. He said he loved her and she repeated the sentiment, hence the kiss as the danced, but she loves Daniel as well. They're much more intimate, involved, and have grown so much more. With Steve its like another life, a different world from the past coming to her present life, and with Daniel she sees everything she never knew she wanted. Marriage, children, and a happy life. A life outside of working herself to the bone to prove her worth. Daniel helped her see she didn't need to prove anything, he always did. 

Peggy doesn't know what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know its been forever since I've updated anything for this fandom and I sincerely apologize! Since I've been working I've been called in unexpectedly, and I'm constantly on the clock. Even as part time I'm still always working, even at home. In addition I am writing for another fandom and currently writing a collab fic with a friend, so to say the least, life had been all over the place.
> 
> I will try to update more for the Agent Carter fandom, I promise I have no abandoned any stories ;)


	9. Decisions Decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 updates already?? Yeah hahaha I figured since I've made you all wait so long for the last update I'd get a move on with this story and write up the second chapter for you all! I hope you enjoy!!! :)

Peggy quickly makes her way out of her home and avoids Rogers entirely as she makes her way to a familiar acting Agency. Mr. Auerback agency was the perfect cover for the SSR, no one would suspect anything indifferent happening upstairs. That is to say, it doesn't make it easy to get upstairs without being noticed. Undiscovered talents and people filled with hope to show their skills show up every now and then to audition, only to have their hearts crushed when Rose shoos them away with her. 'I'm sorry, I don't think you're just right for this Agency.'

Most take it well enough, simply walking away, while others do not. Some cry and storm out, others stay in protest, even fewer become angry with out burst. That had occurred once and Daniel had to make an appearance as Mr Auerback and threaten to call the police. Ironically her practically was, but no one knew that. 

So when Peggy had walked into the Agency, it wasn't uncommon to see someone else besides Rose, however it was unheard of for the person to be as familiar as they were. Agent Carter stops dead in her tracks at the brunette woman before her as she animated speaks with Rose over being unfair for not listening to anymore of her audition. With as much composure as she could, she speaks out. 

"Angie?" The petite woman stops fuming and turns around to be face to face with her old friend. The shock on her face clear as day. 

"Peggy!?!" She gasps, running to embrace the English woman by the door. Both women chuckle as they hold the other, only for Angie to pull away abruptly at a new realization. She glances to Rose with an apologetic expression. 

"Sorry I didn't know this was a **special** agency." She whispers before turning back to Peggy, whom was staring in contained laughter. "Oh come on, I know you want to." 

Within two seconds Peggy releases the laughter she had withheld since she had opened the door. Her first real laugh for what has felt like forever. Oh how good that felt. Leave it to Miss Martenilli to be the one to make the once dreary day much better. After all, what are true best friends for?

"What are you doing here, Angie? Not that I'm not happy to see you but... Well I wasn't quite expecting such a visit."

"Stark said he had a role for me waiting in LA, but he ended up giving it to some newbie!" She scoffs, clearly still put off by the rejection. "So since I was here I thought I'd give another place a shot."

"Well, Howard is a complete wanker for that. Never fear, I will speak with him about that soon, don't worry." Peggy smiles, but it doesn't meet her eyes, and Angie notices. "How have you been? Besides dealing with Howard that is to say." 

"I've been great, actually. Howard let me stay at his LA penthouse and..." She squeals silently before calming again. "But you've seen it. You lived there for a year." Peggy nods in acknowledgment as her friend continues. "And you? How are you? You look...pale" 

Angie squints suspiciously at Peggy, noting her slightly red eyes and exhausted demeanor. She wasn't herself today and Peggy Carter was never not put together for the world even on her worst days. So to see her like this was worrisome.

"Oh its nothing just.... tired I suppose." She shrugs it off Angie doesn't buy it; however, she doesn't press for more either.

The two talk for a few moments longer before parting, seeing as Peggy needed to go upstairs to work. They embrace one final time with good byes and plans to catch up later before Carter makes her way to the bullpen. 

Its normal in the office for the most part and everyone is happy the chief is back. No one notices the tension between him and Carter at first, but soon enough it becomes obvious one is avoiding the other. And yet when they notice they never say a thing;i ts best to leave that gossip and curiosity alone. Even when Peggy goes into his office while shutting he door behind her no one says a peep. She and the chief were having lunch, per usual, but what the others did not see was the awkward and silent tension in the room. Carter tried as much as she could to play it off and pretend things were normal, but Daniel was constantly on the phone or keeping his responses or conversation short.

When Peggy leaves for the day she asks Rose to keep an eye on Daniel, hoping someone she trust will understand her double worry; and Rose does. Rose agrees to watch over the chief, relieving Peggy's anxiety, before she leaves the agency to meet Angie at a pub. They laugh, drink, and reconnect as if no time had passed at all. It truley was the peace and fun Peggy needed as of late. What with so much happening in her life, she could use a small break. And it seems Angie has noticed. 

Angie asks her what was on her mind, seeing as her old friends was zoning out into her own little world again. Something Peggy doesn't often do unless something was bothering her,or very very wrong. Carter denies having any trouble, however, Martenilli is no fool. Angie gives her the look and Peggy sighs, she knows this was a loosing battle. Once Angie gets curious and doesn't believe an answer, she digs and digs until she finds out herself. Peggy might as well tell her now and maybe even receive well sage advice. Maybe. This is Angie Martinelli after all. 

"Its...personal. Trouble I suppose you could say. Things have been difficult and I.. I don't know what to do."

"Boy trouble?" 

The raise in her brow suggests he already figured, but needed to be sure. Seeing as Peggy has never been so reserved or nervous, Angie knew it had to deal with relationships and such. After all, the British woman has always been extra close off when it came to these things. 

Peggy is shocked for moment, but shakes her head realizing the only person who knows her better than herself and Daniel, is Angie. Of course she knew something was off. Angie asks again what's going on, and it doesn't take long for Peggy to top fighting her internal truggle before caving in. She tells her friend that things have been rocky between her and her beau, and then he left. Peggy hadn't heard from him for a while and when he got back, things still weren't okay. Everything changed. 

Angie thought everything was going great with Daniel and Peggy says it is, or was. She's vague and says someone from her past reappeared. Someone she loved very much and they never had a real chance to be together. It was a difficult time in war and there was no confession or time. Peggy thought he was dead and gave up hope. Eventually she got on in life, grew in her career, and fell in love with Daniel. Peggy smiles at the thought of him and Angie smiles back, chuckling. 

"Well what's the problem then?"

"I don't know what to do." Peggy replies simply, her frustration and exhaustion coming back tenfold. 

Angie finally gets it and summaries the problem. Peggy loves two men at once and can't decide between them. Peggy sighs deeply with her head down saying that is a horrible summary of the situation, but yes, overall that was the problem. Angie laughs with a smirk on her lips. 

"It's pretty obvious to me, Peg who to choose." She says this with an inquisitive brow, confusing her friend, making Angie elaborate. "If you really loved the first guy, you would never have fallen so deeply in love with the second. The past is the past and you already said your goodbye, moved on, and you're really happy with Daniel. Hell you two talked about getting married." At this Peggy smiles and understands. 

"When did you get so wise." Angie laughs and they spend the rest of the night having fun. Maybe having Angie there was more than an accident by Howard, but in fact, fate. Words of wisdom and guidance from a dear friend to help Peggy put her life back on track. 

Just maybe...


	10. Choice Made

As Peggy stumbles through her door, a light flips on down the hall. She squints then and notices a form stepping closer. Steve appears from afar with a pair of his own squinting eyes, his focus on the tipsy woman in front of him.

"Peggy?" He calls out. Rogers steps forward to reach out and help her balance as she walks, but she all but refuses. "Peg, where were you? Are you- are you drunk?" He asks, having got a whiff of the whiskey on her.

"What? No. I was out with a friend." Peggy flops on the couch nearby, her back hitting the flowered cushions with a light plop. Steve sits next to her then, his posture relaxing. He smiles and flirtatiously takes her hand before kissing it, happy that she had returned. She looks over at him and squints, moving her hand away.

"You're not Daniel." She slurs. At the man's name Steve furrows his brow.

"Daniel? Who's that?"

Again, Carter laughs as adoration takes over. "My fiancé, obviously. Who else would he be?"

Steve eye brows rise to an extreme level at this new information. _When did Peggy get engaged?_ Sure Rogers knew she loved someone after he crashed in the plane, but he didn't know they were still together. Let alone what his name was or that they were engaged!

Steve sits back, eyes widen from shock, as the racing thoughts swirl in his mind. Such a small statement had much larger impact than the brunette expected. Rogers takes a deep breath, tampering down his internal panic, before opening his mouth to speak again, only to see Peggy passes out on the couch. Now he's sure he won't be getting any answers tonight on the subject.

With a frustrated sigh, Steve stands and walks out the door, his hands brushing through his blonde frizzled hair. He's angry and shocked. What could he do? But he soon enough realized there was nothing he could possibly do. Peggy was still with the man she had met after Steve had went down in the plane. Now she says they're engaged. 

This is far from what Steve had expected when he returned to the 40's...

**~~~**

The next morning when Peggy wakes, she is met with a pounding headache. She takes in her surroundings before remembering the previous night. Her first memory is talking to Angie and realizing she needed to speak with Daniel. Peggy hardly realizes Steve is gone and goes to get ready for work. When she arrives at the office she notices something odd, Daniel wasn't there. Concerned, Peggy goes to speak to Rose and is informed he's taking the day off. 

_Well if he wasn't going to come to her, she would have to go to him..._

Peggy leaves the SSR office then and drives to the familiar direction of Daniel's house. It doesn't take her long to arrive, and when she gets there her knock is answered within a minute. As the door opens, Daniel is revealed. He's in boxers, no prosthetic, and a white t-shit, holding onto the door fame with a shocked expression.

"Peg? What are you doing-" She cuts him off and leans forward, crashing her lips with his. He's shocked but leans in and holds her for closeness and balance. Peggy smiles before pulling away and helps him to the couch, her arm bracing his back as his is flung over her shoulder.

"Not that I'm complaining but what was that for?"

Peggy chuckles before reaching over and holding his hand in hers, intertwining their fingers.  
"Well I've had a.. .revelation of sorts."

"A revelation?" He parrots and she nods her confirmation. "Okay.. but what does that have to do with the kiss? I thought-"

"You thought wrong, darling." To say the kiss was shocking would be an understatement. Her sweet endearment of calling him darling catches him off guard more than it should. She's called him darling hundreds of time, but this... this time seemed different. Special. And it grasped his immediate attention. Peggy takes a deep breath, an ominous silence filling the room before she speaks again.

"It took the words of a wise friend to help me realize what my heart truly wants" 

Just then Daniel is sure he's stopped breathing. _Was this it?_ Was this the imminent goodbye he was dreading? But of course, Peggy Carter being Peggy Carter, surprises him again.

"And that's you, Daniel. I want you." Yep. He definitely stopped breathing. And Carter notices. "Daniel?"

For several long, torturous moments, he says noting. His mind filled with conflicted thoughts and emotions. Was he happy Peggy wanted him? Of course! He was over the moon. And yet he couldn't jump for joy. Daniel knew he was no Steve Rogers, the two men didn't compare. How could Peggy want him when she could have a real superhero?

Peggy observes the hesitation and asks if he was well. Both knew he was not. Its aback and forth, push and pull, until the damn breaks and the truth floods out. Peggy repeatedly asks him what was wrong and why he felt her words to not be entirely true, and what he replies next shakes her to her core. 

"Because, Peg, no girl would willingly trade in a red white and blue shield for an aluminum crutch. He's a hero, Peggy, and I'm..." He stops then, his voice cracking. Daniel's eyes meet hers and he flinches internally. "He's the hero and I'm just-"

"The best damn man I have ever met?" She cuts him off, grabbing his attention. "Daniel how could you possibly think I could ever trade anything? You and Steve are very different, but that is why I care for you both. But Steve... we were over before we started. We never had that chance. But you, Daniel, you are more than anything I have ever thought possible. What I felt for Steve is real, yes, and strong. But you... its more than you could possibly imagine. 

The love I feel for you is no comparison for him! You are a hero, Daniel, more so than Rogers. You're kind, breve, you work and push yourself above standards and never stop. You care for me even when I'm difficult. You except me... flaws and all. You fought for your country and returned victorious. You came home having done your part in winning a war. If that doesn't not make you a hero, then nothing will."

Peggy takes his hand in hers, gripping it with all her might. The crutch doesn't define him nor did the shield for Steve. She never loved him because of title but because of the man he is underneath. He asks then if Roger was is really back, and she confirms he is, but nothing happened between them. Nothing beyond what should have. Steve Rogers returned and had no where to turn, leaving him to stay in Peggy's guest room. Nothing more. At this Daniel sighs deeply, relieved and guilt filling him. and she takes his face in her hands before straddling him and kissing him breathless. 

What she had with Steve was important, yes, but they were never meant to be.

As a wise person once said, 'If you fall in love with a second person, choose the second. Because if you truly loved the first, you wouldn't have fallen for another.'

Peggy abides by this and knew it was as true as it could be. Even Steve knew this. He had started to move on as well, a woman named Natasha Romanoff. His comrade, his best friend, and soon to be more. But she died before he could tell her how he felt. 

Peggy couldn't let the same happen to her twice. She and Steve were over before they had started, and she couldn't let Daniel slip away. Not now. Not ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo its been while. Yeah.... But better late than never! As promised this fic will be finished and not left abandoned!


	11. In the End

After the heart felt confessions and reassurances Peggy knows there was one thing left to be done. She has to speak with Rogers. Peggy wasn't quite sure what she would say, or what she really could, other than the truth. Her drunken slurs from the previous night were no help but she had to start somewhere. She has a vague memory of what had been said, and calling Daniel her fiancé was definitely one of them. Sure they planned on it in the future but it wasn't a fact at the moment. Peggy needed to clear the air, just one thing was causing her to hesitate... Steve's reaction. Given last night he may not take it too well, but he doesn't have a choice.

When Peggy returns home her door is slightly ajar. Roger must have been inside. As she step through the thresh and shuts the door, a soft click behind her, a mop of blonde pops up from the couch. When she steps closer she notice the hair a disarray of a mess and his eye dark and heavy. He hasn't slept much.

"Steve, I think we need to talk." Rogers says nothin in response, instead glances up before his eye land on his lap. He saw this coming. "Its about last night. What I said."

"About your fiancé?" She sighs then, shutting her eyes. It was a lovely thought for it to be real, but it wasn't. Not yet.

"Yes about that... It wasn't quite true." At this is interest peeks, his shoulder less slump. "Daniel isn't my fiancé.. at least not yet. We're trying to work on things." She stutters through her sentence thinking of what to say next, but Steve's next course of action catches her off guard. He stands abruptly and runs a hand over his face.

"How long have you uh... been together?" He places his hands on his hips, his eyes not meeting hers. 

"A few years. Why are you-"

"I came back for you, Peggy and this is-" He scoff and shakes his head, pacing the room. His hair is disheveled more the longer he runs his fingers through it. The blonde locks falling in his face. "This isn't how I imagined this going."

"Imagined what, Rogers?" Peggy stands to face him and he stops mid step, finally meeting her brown eye with his blue.

"After everything, Hydra, Finding Bucky only to loose him again.... Loki...The snap. Hell bringing everyone back. After everything the past twelve years of nothing but war and loss... I found a way to be with you again and you're with someone else still? I-I just don't understand this." He scoffs and paces, looking away from Peggy.

"Steve what are talking about? "

He tenses more, his shoulders squared before his lips part,ushering an explanation filled with confusion. Alien invasions,being in the future, bring half of all life back from being disinigrated, Hydra still operational, more aliens... It was too much.

At first Carter was sure he was lying, to hear every word fall out his mouth would have made her a mad woman... But the look in his eyes told her the opposite. She wasn't mad or loosing an ounce of sanity. What he was saying was true. Every word.

But if that was the story then why come back? He saved trillions of lives, got his childhood best friend back, created a new founded family and served in a new organization of hero's. So why come back for her?

"If that's true then perhaps you shouldn't have come back to change my life! Its my life and I can choose whatever I damn well please!" 

"Peggy I can't go back."

"Why the bloody hell not?!"

As he stutters and looks for an excuse she shakes her head in disbelief. Its not that couldn't leave, its that he didn't want to... And she's caught him in his lie. She's seen the strange watch and a few viles of odd red liquid he kept hidden away. Though curious Peggy never mentioned them, but now it all makes sense. 

"You're right. When I went back to return one of the stones... I took a few more Pym Particles with me."

"Then why not use them? Steve if you had what you need to go home, why come back here?"

"You." He stands till in the midst of the argument, his reasoning clear. But Peggy was having none of it. "I thought, I hoped, this could be our second chance. But... I guess I was wrong."

Carter stands still, arms crossed, as she looks at the man before her. Now with a good look she can see how much he had ages since the plane crash, how the weight of saving the world and loosing loved ones has hurt him. But this? This was wrong. They had what they had when they had it. This was not their moment. That window between them was long closed and no matter how badly they could have wanted things to go, fate had more in store for them both. Daniel came into Peggy's life. And as for Steve? He found a new partner, a strong woman to rely on. Natasha Romanoff.

Steve spoke of her very little in his encrypted explanations of where he's been, but it never went un-noticed by Peggy of how much he cared for her. Briefly she wondered why he wasn't with her now, but after his blunt and angered explanation Peggy now understood. Natasha had died, sacrificed herself for the greater good. But maybe there was a way for Steve to get her back? Move on in a way Peggy herself had?

It was a long shot but it was more hope than either were filled with at the moment. "You're right in thinking you were wrong to come back. You should have stayed the future, Steve. Its your home. People you love are there counting on you! They're your family now. So is Natasha."

"She's gone, Peg. I-I can't go back knowing she's just... she-s-"

"You can." Peggy prods, stepping forward, one hand on each of his shoulders. "If you bring her back?"

Steve parts his lips to protest before a figurative light bulb appears over his head. The Ancient One had said that takings something out of a timeline would cause more to open, creating different version of the universe unless put back. The Red Skull said Nat couldn't have been brought back to life in exchange for the stone because the deal was already done... but what if Steve traveled back in time before Nat sacrificed herself? What if they found a way around it as a loop hole instead? What if Natasha never dies at all?

"Maybe... That might actually work!" As more thoughts spiral in his mind, a plan forms. There may be a way to bring Nat back.

A hand on Steve's shoulder jolts him out of his thoughts and he's met with a vulnerable Peggy. "Then go save her and take her home, Steve. Live your life as I will live mine. Be happy and at peace." Steve looks down then and rests his hand on her hand, his eye avoiding hers. "I know you wanted a fresh start, but to do that you'll have to start over elsewhere. Sometimes that's the best that we can do."

Rogers is taken back for moment, her words similar to what she had said a lifetime ago. Deep down he knew she was right. He had to go back to were he belonged. Home. With a deep breath Steve nods, knowing what he had to do. He leaves the room and grabs the Pym particles and watch Tony designed. It was now or never. Peggy meets his eye and leans in, her lips brushing against his cheek, a proper goodbye.

What she had with Steve was important, yes, but they were never meant to be.

**~~~**

Steve does as planned and brings Natasha back to the Avengers HQ, along with Clint. They find a loop hole to who is sacrificed, and Tony takes the fall. He goes back in time to have the winter solider kill his parents in exchange for the stone, and miracles of miracles it works. Was it easy to bare? No. Never in a million years. But did it work and keep one of their beloved members safe? Yes it did. And to the Avengers and Steve it was more than worth it. Natasha was to Steve as Peggy was to Daniel. Extraordinary, strong, compassionate, and perfect. 

As a wise person once said, 'If you fall in love with a second person, choose the second. Because if you truly loved the first, you wouldn't have fallen for another.'

Peggy loved Daniel and Steve had fallen for Natasha. Now each was happy with their own lives and loves. This was peace and happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fin.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this story! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Comment, kudos, and feedback are always helpful! (And just to rectify, this is not pro steggy. I do not ship them, but I have to establish a base and story post-Endgame to where it makes sense.)


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